BARNSLEY Council has commended pupils across the borough after students received their GCSE results this week - which has seen a continued rise in English and maths results.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, pupils were unable to take their exams this year which led centre-assessed grades to be used by the governing bodies.
Students were awarded with whichever grade is higher from the centre-assessed or moderated methods - a system which the government decided against following confusion and backlash across the country.
Those who took BTEC exams face a delay in receiving their results and they are anticipated to be released late next week.
The town has seen continued progress in English and maths at grade four and above - in line or above the national average for both subjects.
Traditional subjects such as geography, history, science and languages have also seen an improvement across the board.
Coun Margaret Bruff, cabinet spokesperson for children’s services, said: “It has been a challenging time for our students with the coronavirus pandemic causing the cancellation of their exams.
“It’s perfectly understandable that they and their families will have been more worried than usual ahead of today with such uncertainty surrounding results.
“We welcomed the U-turn by the government to award centre assessment grades rather than using the algorithm, which would not have given a true reflection of the ability of our students.
“If your results were not what you were expecting, or you are unsure of your next steps, I would encourage you to call our dedicated helpline, which will be open until Wednesday August 26.
“If students are meeting up with friends to celebrate, I would encourage them to follow relevant public health guidance relating to coronavirus, helping to stay safe by wearing a face covering and maintaining social distancing at all times.”
For more information about the helpline, visit the Barnsley Council website.
